It had been five minutes, and my opponent still hadn't shown up to the arena.
I was puzzled.
Who wouldn't want to fight me for an easy win?
Especially someone with zero wins like Tyler. I was practically a blessing to these fighters.
I glanced up at the crowd, noting their angered expressions. I struggled to suppress a laugh. If I won due to a no show, all these people would lose a lot of money.
But I didn't want my first win to come from a forfeit. I wanted to earn it through my own skill.
As the timer reached nine minutes, I approached the referee. "Excuse me, I'd like to surrender," I said.
He took a moment to process my request, likely shocked that I was giving up a free win. "Are you sure?" he asked, thinking I might have misspoken.
I nodded. The referee, still in disbelief, accepted my surrender. I noticed the crowd trying to interpret our conversation, likely confused by my approach to the referee.
The referee eventually made his way to the center of the arena and spoke into the mic on the collar of his shirt.
"Participant Silas Raven has conceded the match! The winner is Tyler Hill!" he announced.
The angry spectators' expressions shifted to confusion before they burst into laughter.
"What an idiot!"
"Who forfeits a free win?!"
"I'm not complaining; I didn't lose my money!"
I didn't stick around any longer than necessary and headed to the infirmary.
In the midst of the joyful crowd was the woman who had threatened Tyler. She took out her phone and dialed a number.
— "Boss?" The voice on the other end of the phone said.
"You're still following him, correct?" she asked.
— "Of course. Do you need his location?"
"No. Capture him and take him to the warehouse. I'll be there shortly," she replied before hanging up the phone.
***
Trailing behind Tyler was a man who towered at seven feet tall, his physique extremely muscular and chiseled, with broad shoulders and powerful limbs. His long, spiky hair cascades down in wild, untamed waves with a thick, rugged beard.
He pocketed his phone after ending a call and trailed Tyler for several minutes until Tyler veered into a secluded area with no witnesses.
Unaware of the looming figure behind him, Tyler clenched his teeth in frustration, fixating on the woman who had threatened him.
"Damn it! My chance to make a name for myself was snatched away! I'll make her pay!" Tyler exclaimed, striking the wall to his right and leaving a small crack.
"You talking about my boss?" a deep voice queried from behind Tyler.
Startled, Tyler jumped back with a fearful expression upon seeing the towering figure.
Tyler panicked internally as he realized he had not detected the giant's presence.
He cautiously drew his sword and dagger, swiftly hurling the latter towards the giant.
With a command, "Explode!", the dagger illuminated with an orange glow before detonating, causing extensive damage to nearby buildings and injuring civilians.
The streets resounded with terrified screams amid billowing smoke.
Tyler's expression turned to a smile at his accomplishment.
"He couldn't have survived that!" he exclaimed.
However, as the smoke dissipated, Tyler saw the giant standing unscathed.
Tyler's demeanor shifted to one of fear as he pivoted to flee, only to confront the towering figure before him.
Glancing leftward, he observed the colossal hand hurtling towards him.
Regrettably, Tyler's reaction was too late, and he absorbed the full impact of the blow.
The sheer force propelled Tyler across several structures before he crumpled unconscious to the ground.
Approaching Tyler's unconscious body, the giant remarked disdainfully, "Weakling. He couldn't withstand even one percent of my strength."
With ease, he scooped up Tyler's limp body in his immense grasp, carrying him effortlessly like a plaything.
***
Upon entering the infirmary, I noticed Kim's expression and sighed, anticipating her words.
"You know, you could've got a win if you hadn't surrendered," she remarked, her tone full of confusion.
"Are you betting on your fights and throwing them intentionally?" Kim asked, suspicion evident in her voice.
"What?! No way! I would never get into gambling, and I surrendered because I want my first win to be something I earned through my own efforts, not a handout," I explained, emphasizing my rationale.
Kim smiled wryly. "It's just hard to believe you're the same Silas that the rumors are about."
I sighed, acknowledging my less than stellar reputation. "It's not something I'm proud of, as I've already admitted."
"I get it, but it's still difficult to believe. Anyway, are you ready to change that reputation?" she asked.
Exhausted, I reclined on the bed. "I'm more than ready. Though I don't care much about others' opinions, dealing with the prideful noble brats at the academy will be annoying," I admitted wearily.
Kim raised an eyebrow. "Is it alright to speak of your peers in such a way?" she questioned.
I shrugged. "Am I wrong? Those people won't see me as an equal now that I've been disowned by my family. If I don't restore my reputation, it'll be like hell," I asserted.
"I guess so. But why haven't you been expelled from the academy yet?" Kim pondered, assuming I would have been expelled by now.
I, too, wondered why Silas hadn't been expelled. If I had to guess, I'd say it was for the plot.
"The kingdom likely wouldn't want a disowned noble, especially from the Raven household, attending a school meant for commoners," I suggested, making something up on the spot.
Kim was about to respond when she noticed I had already fallen asleep. Gently, she approached my bed and covered me with a blanket before leaving the infirmary and turning off the lights.
***
Opening his eyes, Tyler found himself in darkness. He was about to make a break for it when a voice halted him, "I told you, you'd regret not letting Silas win."
The pressure from the voice was far more intense than what he had felt at the Fighting Tower.
"W-What do you mean?! I didn't show up, he w-won!" Tyler stammered, feeling as if his body was about to be squished under the weight of the pressure.
"Yes, he should've won, but he surrendered. That means you won, therefore not complying with my orders," she said, her voice calm yet powerful like a tsunami.
"H-How is it my fault he surrendered?!" Tyler shouted.
"You had one job with multiple options to ensure his victory. You chose the worst one," she stated coldly. Sharp shadows materialized and pierced Tyler hundreds of times.
She turned and left, the giant following her, leaving Tyler to suffer a slow and agonizing death.
***
I woke up, surprised to realize the next day had already arrived.
"You slept through the entire day," Kim remarked as she tended to a patient.
Stretching my limbs, I replied, "I'm not sure why, but I suddenly felt exhausted."
"It could be that your ability increased a ring. Did it?" Kim asked.
Closing my eyes, I saw two white rings.
I was slightly taken aback. Although I had been practicing with my ability every day, I hadn't expected it to increase a ring so quickly.
I headed to the private bathroom in the infirmary and retrieved a toothbrush and toothpaste I had sealed in a plastic bag.
I initially hesitated to brush my teeth here when Kim mentioned I could, assuming every patient used this bathroom.
However, it turned out to be her personal bathroom, which she never used.
Although I still wasn't entirely comfortable using a bathroom in a place like the Fighting Tower, it was better thab public bathrooms.
As I brushed my teeth, I suddenly remembered work and checked my phone.
8:35 AM.
Panicking, I quickly put everything away and dashed out of the Fighting Tower.
'Please tell me he's not there yet!' I pleaded inwardly.
To my surprise, upon arriving, I saw construction work being done on the store and several other buildings.
"Hey, what happened here?" I asked a nearby civilian.
"There was a fight, and multiple buildings got destroyed. Everything should be repaired by next week," the man explained.
I sighed in relief and silently thanked whoever the two fighters were.